Five GREAT Reasons to Finish Your Basement
Just imagine it! The basement doesn’t have to serve solely as a disorganized storage shed, a final resting place for old toys, or hiding place for dozens of scary spiders (and perhaps, even the Boogey Man). It’s a pre-constructed space that can be finished and transformed to virtually anything you want it to be! Sit down with your family and work out the best use of this space to fit your needs, as well as your budget. Once you’re ready to roll forward, the friendly folks at Highlight Home Restoration can help you design and build the basement of your dreams. Doesn’t that sound so much better than a dank, dark hole that smells funny and exists somewhere in your nightmares? If you need a little more inspiration, here are five more GREAT reasons to finish your basement:
1) The “Envy of Your Friends” Man Cave – Since the dawn of man, males have sought refuge from the stresses of daily life in spaces they can call their own. From a young age, they will use whatever materials necessary to build their fortress of solitude – from a super cool fort made out of sheets draped over a table and chairs, to a tree house constructed of scrap wood and emblazoned with the warning “Keep Out” in bold red paint. A basement offers the ideal space for a man to get away from it all – whether his man cave is designed for entertaining at a full-size bar with beer taps and flat panel TVs hung overhead, or as a supreme “sky box” with an enormous big screen TV at center stage and huge overstuffed sofas on which to watch sporting events to his heart’s content.
2) The “Rowdy Recreation” Room – Just as men may need a space to get away from it all, moms may need a space to send the kids to play and… well… be kids. Whether you have young children who would benefit from an enormous playroom with built in shelving, storage and craft spaces, or teenagers who would enjoy a safe hangout with their friends – complete with video games, pool table, foosball table, air hockey and refrigerator filled with snacks.
3) The “Happy Home” Office – As more and more adults are enjoying the benefits of working from home, the need for practical home office space is growing. Gone are the days of setting up a laptop on the dining room table – you need a dedicated space to work and create, separate from your home life so you can leave your work “at the office” by shutting the door at the end of the day. If your particular county or city ordinances allow, you may even be able to run a small business from your home. If you have a handful of employees on staff, this space can be converted to easily accommodate them – complete with cubicles, bathroom facilities and water cooler. You may even be able to write off a portion of this space on your taxes!
4) The “Majestic Theater” Media Room – For the family who loves movies AND entertaining, the ideal answer for the use of their basement space is to design a unique home theater. With the addition of risers, curtains, a projection screen, top-of-the-line sound system and popcorn maker – you may never go to the movies outside your home again. Roll out the red carpet and invite the neighbors down for movie premiers, or plan a sleepover your kids’ friends will NEVER forget!
5) “Love Your In-Law” Suite – With more and more elderly parents moving home to stay with the kids, some families are finding it a useful addition to transform their basement into an apartment complete with kitchen, bedroom, full bathroom and separate entrance. Your parents can enjoy a feeling of independence while living close enough for you to keep a regular eye on their health and well-being.
When you finish your basement, you are adding useful livable space to your home. The plusses to this are that your family will have more room to spread out, a special space that fulfills your family’s needs, AND you will effectively increase the salability of your home in the future. A couple of changes to consider are the added costs to heat and cool this space, and increased taxes for adding livable square footage. However, a recent survey by Remodeling Magazine indicates that homeowners can expect a return on investment of 75 cents on the dollar for basement finishing – so the good will typically far outweigh the bad. To begin the exciting design phase of your new finished basement, contact Highlight Home Restoration TODAY by calling 678-828-9234. You can also reach our talented team of designers and builders by e-mailing us at info@highlighthomesga.com or by filling out our helpful online contact form.
